An April 11 Politico video report on Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) speech that day at the Virginia Military Institute asserted that McCain is “still considered a maverick, saying what he believes, whether or not it's popular.” Reporter Nicole Collins claimed that “while many politicians adjust to public opinion, John McCain is still going against the grain,” adding that McCain said “it is his obligation to encourage Americans to give the new strategy in Iraq a chance.” However, Collins' assertion that McCain's support of the Bush administration Iraq policy is “going against the grain” was refuted by an April 11 article written by her colleague Jonathan Martin, Politico senior political writer. Martin noted that Republican activists “agreed that the issue could help the senator in his bid for the GOP nomination” because President Bush “still retains high approval ratings among South Carolina Republicans.”

From the April 11 Politico video report:

COLLINS: John McCain's image and campaign style have changed a bit since he ran for president in 2000, but he's still considered a maverick, saying what he believes, whether or not it's popular. And while many politicians adjust to public opinion, John McCain is still going against the grain.

Arizona Sen. John McCain stuck to his guns, so to speak, in a speech at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, saying it is his obligation to encourage Americans to give the new strategy in Iraq a chance.

Martin, however, wrote in his April 11 article:

As unpopular as the war is with the American public, however, some Republicans said McCain, known more for attacking his own party than attacking the opposition, would bolster his campaign by offering such a tough stance toward Democrats.

“I think it helps him among Republicans,” said Dave Woodard, a Clemson University political scientist and GOP activist. “The idea of him not breaking with the president is something people will appreciate,” added Woodard, who noted that he just came out of the field with a poll that shows Bush, despite sagging national ratings, still retains high approval ratings among South Carolina Republicans.

Longtime Republican activist and public relations executive Craig Shirley agreed that the issue could help the senator in his bid for the GOP nomination.

“This is not a bad issue for McCain to take up, since he is already heavily identified with it, and GOP voters are still heavily invested in the issue,” said Shirley. “McCain has decided to make the war and the struggle against terror his signature issue as Ronald Reagan made the Panama Canal Treaties his signature issue or as JFK made the missile gap his signature issue,” he added. “What McCain now needs more than anything else is message discipline -- he must hammer away on this issue day in and day out to create a following and a passion.”

McCain makes clear in most of his speeches -- and did so at VMI [Virginia Military Institute] again today -- that he was one of the biggest critics of how the Iraq conflict was initially conducted. To do so, of course, offers some small measure of political inoculation against past mistakes.